In last 5 years, Rs. 210.24 Cr toll collected from National Highways in J&K: MoRTH
In the last five years, a total of Rs .210.24 Cr toll has been collected from the National Highways in Jammu and Kashmir.
This was informed by the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, Government of India in Lok Sabha after a query was sought on the total toll collected from the National Highway during the last five years in the country.
The query was also asked on the number of times toll rates have been hiked along with the details of a rate hike during the said period.
Responding to a query in Lok Sabha, the Minister of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) Nitin Jairam Gadkari gave data on state-wise user fee collection.
He added, “User fee rates are revised annually in accordance with National Highways Fee (Determination of Rates and Collection) Rules, 2008, for Public Funded fee plazas and applicable fee rules at the time of Concession Agreement for Concessionaire fee plazas”.
As per prevailing National Highways Fee (Determination of Rates and Collection) Rules, 2008 (as amended from time to time), the rates specified under rule 4 shall be increased without compounding by three per cent each year with effect from the 1st day of April 2008 and such increased rate shall be deemed to be the base rate for the subsequent years, Gadkari said.
The applicable base rates shall be revised annually with effect from April 1 each year to reflect the increase in wholesale price index between the week ending on January 6, 2007, and the week ending on or immediately after January 1 of the year in which such revision is undertaken but such revision shall be restricted to forty per cent of the increase in the wholesale price index, he said.
“However, in Concessionaire fee plazas which are operated as per NH Fee Rules 1997, user fee rates are revised annually from the 1st of July or 1st of September as per their concession agreement. Further user fee rates are increased as and when the tolling length is increased upon completion of a stretch”, Gadkari said.
On user fee toll collections in Jammu and Kashmir, the minister replied that Rs. 83.65 Cr were collected in 2018-19, Rs. 130.07 Cr during 2019-20, Rs. 108.75 Cr in 2020-21, Rs. 194.81 Cr in 2021-22 and Rs. 210.24 during 2022-23 (till December 2022).
